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Customer Service

March 03, 2017

Staff enthusiasm is a key element of a great customer experience. Enthusiasm creates a more energetic, engaging location, and thus more interest and excitement for the customer. That leads to higher sales, and customer loyalty and pro-active advocacy.

A colleague of mine once said that enthusiasm can make a bologna sandwich seem like filet mignon. That may be a bit of a stretch, but enthusiasm will definitely make one store's bologna sandwich more appealing than another's.

Enthusiasm doesn't just happen. It is the result of leadership. Charles Schwab, the well-known businessman, once said that his ability to arouse enthusiasm was his greatest asset.

Here are three ways to create an even more enthusiastic staff and customer experience:

1. Demonstrate your appreciation. People are more enthusiastic about their work and their customers when they feel appreciated by their employer. As a leader, you need to make sure you're truly demonstrating your appreciation, not just thinking it.

Challenge yourself to do one or more things each day to demonstrate your appreciation. Consider writing them down at the end of day for an entire month. You might be pleasantly surprised how much you do, or you might learn you’re thinking it more than showing it.

2. Purposeful cheering. Encouraging your team is important to developing enthusiasm. Focusing your encouragement makes sure your team is enthusiastic about what matters to customers, and helps create the desired results. You can never go wrong when you cheer an employee's actions as they relate to the customer's experience.

3. Keep the employee experience fresh. Imagine if every time a customer came into the store nothing had changed from the previous visit. Same products. Same offers. Same everything. It wouldn't be long before that customer got bored and started doing business elsewhere.

The same thing can happen to your staff. Sure, products and offers change, but what is new and different for the people? Do you create new and exciting ways to grow and develop? Do you change up your Take Fives (staff huddles) and meetings to make them fun and different? (Or worse, have you drifted away from doing them?)

Norman Vincent Peale said, "There is a real magic in enthusiasm. It spells the difference between mediocrity and accomplishment." Ultimately, a staff's enthusiasm level and accomplishments are a measurement of the leadership team's effectiveness.

So let me ask, how would you score yours?

How to use this article

Discuss with your management how the enthusiasm level is in your company/location. What do you see and hear associates do that demonstrates their enthusiasm? Where do you see opportunities for them to be even more enthusiastic?

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About Doug: Doug Fleener, the former director of retail for Bose Corporation, is a speaker and consultant known for bring fresh approaches and powerful actionable ideas to clients and audiences around the world. Learn more at DougFleener.com.

January 27, 2017

A good friend of mine is a super smart guy. He's a walking and talking encyclopedia, but many people never guessed he's so smart.

You see, he had this habit of saying "umm" or "uhh" when he spoke. So much so that he came across as being very insecure in his thinking. He was unaware of this habit until I pointed it out to him, and the impact it had on how people perceived him.

In addition to "umm" and "uhh" there are two other words I hear people use with customers that negatively impact sales and the customer's service experience

"Can I ...." Two seemingly innocent words, but when you start a question with "Can I" you're starting by asking permission. And chances are, whatever you're asking permission for is something you should be doing for your customer without asking.

"Can I get the door for you?"

"Can I show you something else?"

"Can I get you something to drink?"

"Can I carry that to your car?"

Let's turn those requests for permission into statements, just by replacing "Can I" with "Let me."

"Let me get the door for you."

"Let me show you...."

"Let me get you something to drink."

"Let me carry that to your car."

The customer can always decline your offer, but most of the time he/she will be delighted that you're proactively offering your help.

By the way, my friend was able to break the "umm" and "uhh" habit by asking his friends and colleagues to point out whenever he did it. The change didn't happen right away, but with the help of others he no longer does it. I'm excited, because now everyone else gets to experience the guy I know.

So let me ask, is asking “Can I” getting in the way of you delivering an even better customer experience?

How to use this article

As a group, listen to what each of you say to your customers, and point out afterwards if the person used "Can I" when "Let me" would have resulted in a better service experience.

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About Doug: Doug Fleener, the former director of retail for Bose Corporation, is a speaker and consultant known for bring fresh approaches and powerful actionable ideas to clients and audiences around the world. Learn more at DougFleener.com.

December 22, 2016

Over the next 10 days almost all of your customers will be delightful to work with but, inevitably, you will encounter one or two stressed out, unhappy customers. Here are five steps for dealing with the (rare) unhappy customer.

1. Let the customer vent. Experience has taught me that that once the unhappy customer starts talking, let him/her go. Like a good fire, most of the time these customers burn themselves out.

- Don't be defensive.

- Listen actively with ears and eyes.

- Don't interrupt. You'll get your chance to respond.

If he's speaking very loudly or inappropriately, politely ask him to lower his voice. If necessary, you can ask him to follow you to another part of the store – or even out the door – to continue the conversation.

2. Establish the facts without judgment. After the customer comes up for air, you need to get beyond the emotions to the facts. Say something like, "So what you're telling me is that you're unhappy that you bought this last month and it was your understanding it would never go on sale and now it is on sale?" Compare that to "Nobody who works here is going to tell you that something would never go on sale."

3. Express both your regret that he/she is unhappy and your desire to find a resolution. "I'm sorry you're upset but let's see what we can do." Remember that saying "I'm sorry" doesn't mean you or anyone on your staff was wrong. It just means that you are expressing sympathy and regret for what happened.

4. Ask him what he thinks would be a fair resolution. More often than not the customer's suggestion will be something you'll find more than acceptable. Most of the time, unhappy customers just want to be heard. If your customer's resolution is acceptable, take it. If not, tell him what you can do for him.

Remember, it's important to tell your customer what you can do, not what you can't. Instead of saying, "I can't give you your money back." you could say, "What I can do is give you a store credit that's good for a year."

5. Afterward, thank your customer for allowing you opportunity to resolve the issue. This one little step will amaze your customers. A statement like that, one that most companies never make, is sure to turn even the crabbiest customer into a raving advocate.

Two other thoughts:

Dealing with refunds and exchanges. Sometimes it is smart business to just give in and do whatever it takes to make the customer happy. A disruptive customer can cost you a whole lot more in sales than whatever it is they are asking for. Think about the longtime value of the customer, and don't forget the aggravation it causes you personally. That's your call, but I'm not going to argue over a few dollars.

Most of all, don't let it ruin your day. Don't take it personally. Live and let live. Don't let someone else's character flaws bring out your own. Move on and enjoy the rest of your cheerful and appreciative holiday customers.

Merry Christmas. Happy Hanukkah, and Happy, Happy, Happy Day!

- Doug

Doug Fleener, the former director of retail for Bose Corporation, is a speaker and consultant known for bring fresh approaches and powerful actionable ideas to clients and audiences around the world. Learn more at DougFleener.com.

October 29, 2014

Almost all customer service training includes instructions for dealing with unhappy customers. These steps usually include the importance of listening without interruption and the need to empathize, validate, apologize, take responsibility, and agree on a solution.

The best companies add an additional step that helps turn a negative experience into a positive one. Sometimes I'm not sure the people who do this even realize what they're doing; it just comes naturally. The extra step is easing the customer's inconvenience. It's an important part of the solution but it's a step that most people overlook.

For years when I worked in a store I didn't understand why customers were still mad after I agreed to fix their problem. "Sure I'll swap out that massage chair, sir. All I need you to do is box it back up in the original packaging and bring it back to the store."

Why did my unhappy customer remain unhappy? I had listened, empathized, apologized, taken responsibility, and given him a solution! What's the big deal? Obviously the big deal was that I didn't ease the customer's inconvenience. The problem remained a problem for the customer even I'd given him a solution.

To successfully turn unhappy customers into happy and loyal customers you must assess what inconvenience the problem is causing the customer. Will the problem with the product cause the customer any inconvenience? Will the solution, or any part of the solution, cause the customer any inconvenience?

Try to create a solution that will exceed the customer’s expectations and at the same time is fiscally responsible. If my car is the shop and the dealer offers to call me a cab, that doesn’t meet my expectation.. Giving me a ride somewhere might meet them, but the biggest WOW is to loan me a car since that's what does the most to ease the inconvenience.

Here are some ways you might consider to ease a customer’s inconvenience .Consider giving a small gift card for having to make a return trip to the store. Offer to have the item picked up by UPS. Consider waiving the price difference. Offer to have an employee bring the replacement product to the customer’s house.

Unfortunately, many retailers look at solutions that ease the customer's inconvenience as a profit opportunity, not as the extremely important customer service and experience tool it is. Nothing is less productive than trying to squeeze money out of someone who is already unhappy. Retailers need to ask themselves if the short-term revenue is worth what the loss of a customer will cost in the long run.

By the way, the best part about easing a customer's inconvenience is that it makes you a hero in the customer's eyes. And who doesn't want to do more business with a hero?

So let me ask, are you easing your customer's inconvenience?

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Doug Fleener, a proven retail and customer experience expert and consultant, helps companies dramatically improve their customer experience and their sales results. Visit the Dynamic Experiences Group website, or call Doug at 866-535-6331 to discuss how he can help you create extraordinary results.

March 18, 2014

There are times I think delivering a great experience and maximizing our customer opportunities really shouldn't be that hard. But over and over I personally experience how difficult it really is.

It's amazing how we can make and lose sales in a matter of seconds or minutes, or by doing or not doing some very basic things. As I've said many times, consistency is our biggest challenge and our greatest opportunity.

Let me give you an example.

One day I was shopping in a jewelry store in a small town here in Massachusetts. There were two women working in the store. Saleswoman #1 was working with a customer who was buying a gift for her daughter's birthday. The woman did a good job engaging the customer and making it a nice buying experience.

Saleswoman #2 asked us if we wanted help. Not so engaging, but as least we were acknowledged. I thanked her for asking and said we were just going to look around.

Just after that a woman and her daughter walked in and asked saleswoman #2 to show them some charms for the daughter's bracelet. In the meantime, saleswoman #1 moved to the front of the store and started ringing up her customer.

In walked an older gentleman. He stood by the counter waiting to be helped, and after neither employee acknowledged him he walked completely around the jewelry counter. About two minutes later, having never been acknowledged, he walked out the door, got into his late model Mercedes, and drove off.

Who knows his story? Maybe he just had a question, or needed to pick-up a repair, and decided to come back when someone was available. Or maybe he wanted to buy something - maybe something really expensive. He didn't need to wait. There are probably several jewelry stores within a short drive of this one. Maybe he'll be back. Maybe he won't.

I am not in any way being critical of the two saleswomen. They were each busy helping a customer, but at the same time they missed a potentially big opportunity.

If only they had done something as simple as acknowledging this gentleman by saying, "Hello. We'll be with you in just two or three minutes. Will that be okay?" Maybe they always do this, but missed this one. It doesn't matter now. He left.

This is why I believe that regardless of how busy or how slow you are you have to ask yourself two questions after every customer walks out the door.

1. Did I win or lose that customer?

2. Did I maximize that opportunity?

Two simple questions that are far easier said than done. This is why we have to be relentlesson delivering an extraordinary experience to each and every customer. Period.

The key is to look at every customer who walks in the door and tell yourself:

1. I will win that customer!

2. I will maximize this opportunity!

So let me ask, will you win every customer and maximize every opportunity today?

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Doug Fleener, a proven retail and customer experience expert and consultant, helps companies dramatically improve their customer experience and their results. Visit the Dynamic Experiences Group website, or call Doug at 866-535-6331 to discuss how he can help you create extraordinary results.

April 25, 2012

While waiting for a flight the other day I watched a very stressed passenger freak out on an airline representative. The passenger’s behavior was embarrassing and completely unacceptable, and of course I couldn’t help but watch to see how the agent handled it.

Overall she did a great job, but at the same time I saw things she could have done better. I know you don’t have people freak out on you very often (thank goodness) but here are a few tips to remember when it does happen.

1. Remain calm. Okay, as calm as you can. It is easier said than done, but getting aggravated just doubles the drama and pretty much guarantees things will get worse.

Don’t take it personally. The passenger was screaming that she was going to get the agent fired, but the real issue was that she missed her check-in time and her seat was given away to another passenger. If whatever situation hadn’t happened, you wouldn’t even be involved.

2. Don’t blame the customer. The goal is to calm the customer and address the issue. When we inadvertently blame a customer for what happened they become more defensive. The customer might have messed up, or doesn’t want to follow the policies, but making it about them will only make matters worse.

3. Say you’re sorry. As I’ve written and said many times, saying you’re sorry doesn’t mean that you or anyone in your store have done anything wrong. You’re simply expressing regret that the customer is upset. That’s something I didn’t see the agent do, which only made the passenger freak out even more.

4. Keep the focus on finding a resolution. As obvious as that sounds, it doesn’t always happen. Extremely upset people have a tendency to keep going back to the issue and reiterating how much they’re upset. When the passenger screamed for the fiftieth time how upset she was I expected everyone at the gate to yell out, “We know!” One thing the agent did very well was that every time the passenger did that she responded, “I understand that. Now let’s work on getting you to your destination.”

5. Bring in another person if it gets too personal. This poor agent wasn’t going to do anything to escape the customer’s wrath. When she finally realized that, she had another agent step to handle the situation. At that moment the passenger completely stopped freaking out. It was like someone had unplugged her. There might just be times when an owner or manager needs to ask an assistant or associate to work with the customer. I know that some owners/managers may not agree with that approach, but I’ve personally used it twice to bring resolution for a very unhappy customer.

6. Last but not least, don’t accept unacceptable behavior. I thought the agent showed great restraint with the customer who was freaking out, but she was probably pretty close to calling the airport police. If the customer crosses a line into unacceptable behavior then you owe it to your staff, the other customers, and yourself to remove the customer. Of course if we do the first five thing listed here that probably won’t have to happen.

Let’s hope you never have to apply any of these tips, but if you do have a customer who freaks out I hope you’re able to remember to apply them.

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Doug Fleener is a proven retail and customer experience expert that helps companies dramatically improve their customer experience and their results. Visit our website or call Doug at 866-535-6331 to discuss how he can help you create an extraordinary experience and results.

October 11, 2011

In my previous post I shared how to identify and leverage the three types of store VIPs. The three types of VIPs are:

* Top VIPs. These are the top 10-25 customers.

* Current VIPs. The top 50, 100, or 250 customers.

* Community VIPs. These are customers who are important to your store but not necessarily big spenders.

Here's different ways you can WOW your VIPs and maximize your relationship with them.

Private shopping hours. Offer your VIPs exclusive private shopping hours before the store opens. To increase the value, make the private shopping hours seem to be in limited supply.

First look events. Invite your VIPs to be the first to see and purchase new products at exclusive events. You'll be amazed at how special this makes your VIPs feel.

Limited product opportunities. Got a hot product that's limited supply? Don't put it on the floor for sale, call and offer them to a couple of your Top VIPs.

Breakfast with the designer or expert. Host a VIP breakfast before your next trunk show or event.

Dinner with the designer or expert. Invite a Top VIP to join you for dinner with the visiting designer or expert.

Birthday gifts. While recognizing every customer's birthday with a card and gift card is good business, you might consider sending a Top VIPs and select Current and Community VIPs a gift directly to their home. What a nice surprise!

Surprise and special occasion gifts. There are numerous opportunities to WOW a VIP - if you listen for them. For example, a customer who is shopping for something to wear for her anniversary could be sent a gift certificate to a local restaurant.

Follow-up thank you calls from the owner or manager. If you miss the chance to thank a VIP when he/she is in the store, why not call and say "thank you" for their business or visit?

A call or email about a new product you think might interest that customer. This is obviously a key action of clientele-ing. I always like to remind people that clientele-ing isn't keep a customer book....it's using a customer book!

Thank you card. While you probably want to send all of your customers a thank you card for a substantial purchase, send your Top and Select VIPs a thank you card for being your customer. You can also thank the Community VIPs for supporting your store.

So let me ask, did I miss something that you do to WOW your VIPs? Did you see something new you might try?

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Doug Fleener is a proven retail and customer experience expert that helps companies dramatically improve their customer experience and their results. Visit our website or call Doug at 866-535-6331 to discuss how he can help you create extraordinary results.

December 14, 2010

Over the next 10 days almost all of your customers will be delightful to work with but, inevitably, you will encounter one or two stressed out, unhappy customers. Here are seven things to keep in mind when they've decided to take it out on you.

1. Let the customer vent. My experience has taught me that that once the unhappy customer starts talking, let him go. Don't be defensive, but listen actively. Make eye contact. You might be thinking that you would love to stick candy canes in your ear so you don't have to listen to the guy, but you know you can't do that. Like a good fire, most of the time these customers burn themselves out.

2. Don't let them disrupt the store. A customer has the right to be unhappy with something, but her unhappiness doesn't give her permission to ruin everyone else's experience. If she's talking very loudly or inappropriately, you need to politely ask her to lower her voice. If necessary you can ask the customer to follow you to another part of the store to continue the conversation.

3. After the customer comes up for air, establish the facts without judgment. "So what you're telling me is that you're unhappy that you bought this last month and it was your understanding it would never go on sale and now it is on sale?" Compare that to "Nobody who works here is going to tell you that something would never go on sale."

4. Express your regret that she is unhappy and express your desire to find a resolution. "I'm sorry you're upset but let's see what we can do." Remember that saying "I'm sorry" doesn't mean you or anyone on your staff was wrong. It just means that you are expressing sympathy and regret for what happened.

5. Ask him what he thinks would be a fair resolution. More often than not the customer's suggestion will be something you'll find more than acceptable. Most of the time, the unhappy customers just want to be heard. If the customer's resolution is acceptable, take it. If not, tell him what you can do for him.

Here's my recommendation when it comes to refunds and exchanges during December. Sometimes it is smart business to just give in and do whatever it takes to make the customer happy. A disruptive customer can cost you a whole lot more in sales than whatever it is they are asking for, let along the aggravation it causes you personally. That's your call, but I'm not going to argue over a few dollars and miss hundreds or thousands as a result.

6. Afterwards, thank your customer for allowing you opportunity to resolve the issue. This one little step will amaze your customers. They so rarely hear that comment that it is sure to turn the crabbiest customer into a raving advocate.

7. Most of all, don't let it ruin your day. Don't take it personally. Live and let live. It's great if you've made the customer happy, but there are people who will choose to stay upset no matter what you do. Don't let someone else's character defects bring out your own. Move on and enjoy the rest of your cheerful holiday customers.

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Doug Fleener is a proven retail and customer experience expert that helps companies to improve their on-floor and management performance. Vist our website or call me at 866-535-6331 to discuss improving your company's experience and results.

September 01, 2010

1) The CEO or owner talks constantly about customers and their experience. He/she talks about it so much that it would be annoying to the employees if they didn't feel as passionate about the customers as their boss does.

2) Managers often quote the CEO or owner. A few employees might think the manager is just trying to act important, but the manager knows that every level of leadership must articulate this focus on customers and their experience.

3) Employees routinely seek out opportunities to exceed a customer's expectation. You're a great retailer if employees see an opportunity and go for it. Yours is an extraordinary company when employees attempt to create those opportunities.

4) Employees automatically apologize if the customer has a less than stellar experience. Most retailers only apologize if something was the company's fault, but customer-centric companies are always sorry if their customer's experience is short of their expectations.

5) The staff knows and executes the service standards that are key to the company's success. These store standards aren't just bullet points on a framed document in the backroom. They are the foundation of every employee's day. Everything else an employee does is secondary.

6) It's a challenging work environment. Maintaining an intense focus on the customer and exceeding their expectations is a lot of hard work, and there are people who have no desire to either work that hard or to serve others. While the dropout rate shouldn't be in the Navy Seal range of 70-80%, if some people aren't leaving you're either doing a great job hiring or your expectations aren't high enough.

7) It's a rewarding place to work. I really like Tuesday's Daily Retail Quote from William James, "Act as if what you do makes a difference. It does." I'm sure some people question how working retail can make a difference. Well, it doesn't if you're only focused on the tasks or products, but when your customer is your priority you can't help but make a difference. You can uplift your customer's experience, share information that will benefit him/her, or participate in a charitable event. Simply being a positive, helpful person makes a difference. There are so many ways we can make a difference, but it starts with people.

August 11, 2010

Every employee in your company carries around a pedestal. Not literally, but figuratively. With each customer interaction an employee chooses to use that pedestal in one of three different ways.

The first group puts themselves on the pedestal. These ego-inflated associates believe they always know more than the customer or, even worse, believe they're in some way better than their customer. Most customers, not surprisingly, can't stand it when these employees peer down at them from the pedestal.

Other associates end up sitting on their pedestal. Sometimes they're lazy and sometimes they're lackadaisical, but whatever the reason, it's not a productive place. I'm sure these employees think they're helping their customers, but how can you do that from a pedestal?

Another group of associates put the products on their pedestal. I'd say that the majority of retailers fall into this group. It is a lot better than putting yourself on a pedestal, but it's especially not ideal for specialty retailers to do. I like to think that instead of putting products on a pedestal, we should (figuratively speaking) put them on a platter and present them to the customer.

Last but not least, there's a small group that has a pedestal for each customer. From the moment the customer steps foot into the business the goal is to put the customer on the pedestal. And they do this if it's the customer's first or one-hundredth.

It's the small details of the experience that place the customer on the pedestal. From the engaging welcome to the invitation to return, everything the employee does keeps the customer on that pedestal. The best part is that customers always spend more when they're up on that pedestal.

Putting customers on a pedestal is the essence of creating and delivering extraordinary experiences. If that's your goal, the bigger challenge isn't how we intend to use our pedestals, but how successful we are at getting the customer on, and keeping them on, that pedestal.